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Difficulty: Moderate

8 hours

$100-$200

Step 5: Connect the pipe and pump

Using a pipe cutter, cut a 4-inch section off the end of the copper pipe. Unscrew the compression fittings on the ends of the ball valve. Slide a nut from the ball valve, then the brass ring, or ferrule, onto the long section of pipe. Insert the pipe into one end of the ball valve, then finger-tighten the nut over the ferrule onto the valve. Attach the short section of pipe to the other end of the valve in the same manner.

Screw the threaded end of the adapter onto the pump outlet. Take apart the compression end and slide the nut, then the ferrule, over the short section of pipe. Connect the pipe to the pump with the compression fitting. Using an adjustable wrench, tighten all three compression nuts an extra quarter-turn.

Pour a 2-inch layer of drainage gravel in the bottom of the basin. Lay the pump in the center of the basin with the pipe sticking up. Slide the screen over the pipe and arrange it so the access flap is near the conduit.

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Tools List

Utility Scissors to cut screening

Duct Tape and String to pull the power cord through conduit

Pipe Cutter

Adjustable Wrench

Hammer

Drill fitted with a 5 1/⁄8-inch masonry bit

Hand Saw to cut decking supports

Caulk Gun

Shopping List

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1. Pump

Available at home or garden centers. Look for one labeled “submersible.” Pumps are rated in gallons per hour (gph), a measure of how
much water they can handle and how high they can push it. Anything larger than 250 gph is overkill for a basic fountain with a [FRACTION 12]-inch pipe. We used [XLINK "http://www.pondmaster.com" "Pondmaster's"] 250-gph model 2

2. ½-Inch Copper Pipe

to carry the water from the pump to the top of the fountain. Buy a piece 2 feet longer than your fountain’s height.

3. Waterproof Basin

such as a plastic storage bin, mason’s mortar-mixing bucket, or washtub, to hold the pump and collect the water. It should be 6 inches wider than the fountain base’s diameter and 1 foot taller than the pump so that it fits all the pipe connections while still keeping the pump submerged.

4. Stones

or other material to make the fountain body. Choose something that stacks easily; stones should have flat faces. The copper pipe will give some support, but the materials should stand well on their own.

5. Small Rocks

or large aggregate, such as terra-cotta shards or tumbled glass, to cover the top of the pit. One 5-gallon bucketful should be enough.

6. ½-inch-by-½-inch Compression Female Adapter

to connect the pipe to the pump.

7. ½-inch Ball Valve

to regulate the water flow.

8. Screen

to protect the pump from debris. A fiberglass or aluminum window screen or grille, or anything that comes in a rigid frame, is best. Get one big enough to span the basin.